Agastache plant named ‘Summer Sky’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Agastache  plant characterized by a small, compact habit, violet blue colored flowers in narrow, tight clusters, dark calyces, a low branching habit, a long bloom time, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Agastache hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Summer Sky’.

Parentage: Agastache sp. ‘Pink Pop’×Agastache rugosa ‘Honey Bee Blue’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Agastache, given the name, ‘Summer Sky’. Agastache is in the family Lamiaceae. This new variety originated from cross was between a dwarf form of Agastache sp. ‘Pink Pop’ (an unpatented plant) as the seed parent and Agastache rugosa ‘Honey Bee Blue’ as the pollen parent. Compared to the seed parent, Agastache sp. ‘Pink Pop’, the new cultivar has violet blue rather than pink flowers. Compared to the pollen parent, Agastache rugosa ‘Honey Bee Blue’ (an unpatented plant), the new cultivar has a much more compact habit, a larger and darker flower, and a less congested inflorescence. Compared to Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ the new cultivar is shorter.

This plant exhibits the following characteristics that make it unique:

-   -   1. Small, compact habit,     -   2. Violet blue colored flowers in narrow, tight clusters,     -   3. Dark calyces,     -   4. A low branching habit,     -   5. A long bloom time, and     -   6. Excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows a one-year-old Agastache ‘Summer Sky’ growing in the garden in full sun in late summer in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Agastache cultivar based on observations of a nine-month-old specimen grown in the greenhouse then planted outside in the ground in May in the trial beds in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Upright, spreading herbaceous perennial         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 8–9.         -   Size.—Grows to 40 cm wide and 40 cm tall to the top of the             flowers.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Stem.—Square in cross section, grows to 4 mm wide and 35 cm             tall, sparsely pubescent, internodes average 4 cm long,             Yellow Green 147A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Crenate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 32 mm long and 22 mm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Very short hairs on both sides.         -   Petiole description.—14 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B on back or where shaded, Yellow Green 147B             tinted Greyed Purple 187A on top side in the sun.         -   Leaf color.—Top side Green 137A, bottom side closest to             Yellow Green 147B lightly tinted with Greyed Purple 187A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal spike with 7 to 16 whorls.         -   Number of flowers.—Up to 90 per spike.         -   Size of inflorescence.—7 cm to 17 cm tall and 2 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—7 cm to 16 cm tall and 2 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B.         -   Pedicel.—1 mm to 2 mm long, pubescent, Yellow Green 147B.         -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—10 mm long and 2 mm wide at the widest point prior to             opening.         -   Description.—Tubular.         -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Violet 86B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic.         -   Shape.—Bilabiate, tubular.         -   Size.—14 mm long and 4 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—11 mm long and spreads to 4 mm wide,             color outside Violet Blue 90B on top half and 90D on bottom             half, inside Violet 86A, pubescent outside and glabrous             inside, tube 8 mm long and 1 mm to 3 mm wide; 2 upper lobes             joined 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, ovate, acute, entire; three             lower lobes, two spreading sideways and curve down slightly,             each 1 mm long and 2 mm wide, obtuse, entire; the bottom             lobe broad, reflexed, obovate, notched at the tip, entire, 2             mm wide and 2 mm deep.         -   Calyx description.—5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, pubescent             outside and glabrous inside, 5 lobed, lobes narrow, 1 mm             long, entire, acuminate, color between Brown 200B and Greyed             Purple 187A.         -   Pistil description.—21 mm long, ovary 0.5 mm long, Yellow             Green 146C, style 20.5 mm long, stigma and style Violet 86B.         -   Stamen description.—4 in number, paired, filaments 6 mm             long, Violet 86B, anthers 0.5 mm long, Greyed Yellow 161D,             pollen none.         -   Fragrance.—Light herbal.         -   Lastingness.—A spike blooms for about 3 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit: None. -   Seed: None, sterile. -   Pests and diseases: Agastache are known to be susceptible to mildew     and rust in dry summer months. The new cultivar has no known     resistances but has shown no problems in Canby, Oreg. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agastache plant substantially as shown and described. 